Since its inception Vodafail.com has made a significant
contribution towards raising awareness of the problems and issues faced
by Vodafone customers.

Vodafone Australia customers have had the opportunity to voice their concerns, their fears and their troubles from every corner of Australia and beyond our borders.
You have gathered the courage to stand up for your rights as consumers and to make your voice heard.

Each and every person who shared their story should have a sense of pride in this achievement and the changes that have occurred since the start of Vodafail.com.

More recently, traffic to Vodafail.com has declined significantly.
Having achieved the goal of raising awareness and promoting concrete action in early 2011, we have now reached the point of closing Vodafail to new complaints.
The site will remain online for as long as possible as a
reminder and an example of what is possible when we share our experiences.

It has been a privilege to run this initiative
and I'm am forever grateful for the help and support I've received. In
particular I would like to thank Melissa, David and Travis for their
continued efforts over the past 15 months. I'm also thankful and humbled by the support of ACCAN, Choice magazine and a wide range of media outlets, blogs and websites.

Share Your Pain

Vodafail.com is no longer accepting complaints.

Over the past 6 months traffic to Vodafail has declined significantly. Therefore we have closed off Vodafail to new
complaints. We think you will find more joy in posting on any one of
these fine product / brand review sites.

Have been a loyal Vodafone customer for many years, but since I signed up for another 24 months to get an iPhone 3GS, have had nothing but network dropouts, dropped calls and missed calls. Because I use my phone for work, I had to switch off 3G to improve the network signal, but now download speeds are terrible, which pretty much defeats the benefits of having an iPhone!

6 Jan 2011 07:05:21 PM: Come on, Vodafone has fixed those few minor glitches in the system, it has to be a faulty iphone

6 Jan 2011 10:36:35 PM: @6 Jan 9:05pm
i dont have an iphone 3gs, i had 2 other phones, same problem, brought 1 phone back 3 times, same thing happens. brought the other 1 back twice, same thing. does this sound like a hardware issue to you?

7 Jan 2011 06:17:46 AM: Come on, the problem cant be with the network, if its not hardware then perhaps its the neighbours vacuum cleaner causing interference

(PERSONAL DETAILS REMOVED) , this guy is the "customer Service Director of Voda Phone - what a monster customer relationship stuff up he is at the end of on this unmittigated mess , where do you go from here - "British Leyland" , "Fawlty Towers" , not even thy could attract the 9000 people who look to sign up a class action against Vodaphone.
Your front line staff look "battle worn" and this sits squarely in your lap - Do you have any thing positive to offer

6 Jan 2011 05:08:35 PM: To be fair, Cormac only recently became the head of Customer Service and Experience. Before that, it was Michael Young, who is now the Chief Technology Officer of VHA. The old CTO left in September 2010.........one must wonder about that! They haven't even updated the personnel change on their website yet.

In short I am a disgruntled Vodafone customer after using the service for more than 6 years. After my relentless attempts to contact Vodafone customer support to resolve my issues (the usual dropped calls, no reception, poor battery life and delayed voicemail messages) I have no choice but to search for a new carrier.

Just today 6th Jan 2011 - I called vodafone call centre 1st 3 times was cut off afer 30 mins each on hold - the 4th call went for 1hour 20mins. I complained about my famous "no service / searching" on my apple i-phone - Ihave 8 months remaining on my contract and all they can say is - Oh sorry sir - we are always upgrading our towers (6 years you told me this) and I will credit your bill this month - Big Woop$69 !!

Now they want to do a investigation to confirm the service / newtwork is fine in my area which goes for 2 weeks before they decide weather or not I can leave with out termination fees.

Its been 6 years thousands of $$$ Im sure you can spot me $500 and let me leave for good.

6 Jan 2011 05:55:11 PM: When in doubt, give the TIO a shout ;)

Check out the 'how to complain' link at the top of the page. Best of luck and make sure you report back on how you go :)

Missed a few calls in the last few weeks. Always had minimal coverage as I live in a valley. Very frustrating. Data download has almost stopped in the last couple of days. Today my phone is not accepting calls but I can ring out. Currently on the phone waiting for vodafone network people to pick up my call.52 minutes and waiting.

6 Jan 2011 05:14:06 PM: i also have to put my iphone on the windowsill at night to get one or two bars of coverage. Not good with teenage kids out til all hours. If I walk outside the coverage is the same. Big fail! Now talking to the network tech.

I'm out of the mess but vocative was the first contract phone I got which was the 3G iPhone launch, I was 20 mins from Brisbane cbd and was lucky to get 3G, I also got wireless broadband with them too, after a few months I was fed up with the poor service and took me 2 months to have my contracts released, I've been with Optus since and on new unlimited iPhone 4 plan, never had better service with any other provider. Vodafail!

Very dissapointed with regional coverage in nsw and qld ecen major towns on the pacific hwy. Paltry coverage in and around coffs harbour ( barely one bar of coverage in main centre of town) been a loyal customer for 12 years but i have sick of the poor service

unexplained charges.. phone dropping out.. customer service of no help and no idea what they are talking about! never called back when they said they would! would be good if i got my invoice on time and not one month after i had asked for it!

I have been with Vodafone for 9 years. I used to live in regional QLD, and reception was never any problems. However, in the past 6 months, reception even in the heart of Brisbane has been intermittent (in particular, data connections are terrible).

Over Christmas I drove north for 4 hours, and actually visited the house I used to live in. Both my wife and my phone had no service, and a friend of mine who used to work for Vodafone who lives nearby told me that he changed back to Telstra (who he hated with a passion) for that very reason. I had two pockets of reception in the town, and nothing during the 4 hours travel time between.

I am glad our car hasn't broken down on the highway, we wouldn't have been able to call for assistance.

I also have a problem with their billing. Quite often the bills I receive are for different amounts, with confusing explanations provided if I call.

Recently I got rid of my N97 mini (Voda's flagship phone for a while, which turned out to be a god-awful piece of rubbish... couldn't even make calls on it most of the time) and moved to a Desire HD. Voda tried to hit me for the early termination, but I complained and they 'lessened' it somewhat. When it came time for the direct debit, this amount exceeded my credit card limit -- I couldn't get through to anyone on the phone, and to this day I am still unable to sign up to MyVodafone, it sends me a temporary password which does not work (Voda tell me "We're having problems, please try again next week" every time). So I was unable to change my direct debit details -- so they sent me a text saying that my debit failed and to call them. I finally got through to someone that same morning, and arranged to have the amount deducted from my bank account. It seems they have no problems helping you out when you owe them money. Anyway, lo-and-behold I get my next bill and they slug me with a $20 'dishonour fee'. *Sigh*

I hope they get their act together very quickly, since my family all use Vodafone.

10948 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is DROPPING IN AND OUT AND ONLY 1 BAR! at 6 Jan 2011 04:15:10 PM

ITS DRIVING ME CRAZYYY!! EVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY MY MOBILE DROPS OUT AFTER 2 MINS, HAS ONLY 1 BAR OF RECEPTION - AND I AM NOT EVEN GOING TO TRY AND CALL LARA BECAUSE I KNNNOOOWWW I AM GOING TO BE ON THE PHONE FOR 45 MINS ONLY TO BE TOLD I AM IN CONTRACT!! I FEEL LIKE SMASHING MY PHONE!

Vodafone does not work!
- trying to make calls out & won't connect
- on the phone to someone & phone drops out
- friends try to call me & can't get through

6 Jan 2011 04:18:01 PM: me again!
- i was originally on another account & moved to my current one 2 months ago. to change my number across was the most painful experience. not only was the vodafone call centre in india not helpful, but neither were the store persons. each gave me different advice on how to change my title. it took too long for vodafone to do this. not to mention each time i called vodafone i was on hold for 40 minutes before i even got to speak to someone besides "lara"!
- once i had my number free i called the same vodafone line like i had always done, however this time i did not wait on hold for 40 minutes. amazingly i was connect to deals directly within 2 minutes of being on the phone - INTERESTING.
- finally got my new phone & the owner of my old account was charge $400 for data usage of my new account (which i pay for). vodafone had wrongly charged them!!!!
- got my new HTC Desire HD which was recommended by the sales person only to be very disappointed that the phone's battery is appauling. obviously not vodafone's fault (but HTC's) however i ordered this phone at the reccommendaton of the vodafone salesperson.
- i even tried to complain to vodafone about how appauling the battery life is & after waiting on the phone for 40 minutes to speak to a consultant in india i told them my problem & he said no problem, let me just speak to one of my managers, i was then left on hold for 30 minutes only for another consultant to answer my call who had absolutely no knowledge of what i had told the consultant prior to her (even though he was supposed to be coming back on the line!!!!!!)

it's so good to know that i am not the only one with issues with vodafone.

6 Jan 2011 05:48:45 PM: I have an HTC Desire HD too, I was getting shocking battery life.. one particular day I had to charge the phone 3 times... I did some research and discovered that if I turn off 3g, my battery now lasts for 2 days... hardly any point having a fab phone when you can't have 3g on but the constant searching for a signal is what runs the battery in super quick time.. VODAFAIL

6 Jan 2011 11:48:50 PM: All phones last longer with 3G off, on any network. Pretty much common sense.

Getting in contract with vodafone was the biggest downfall i have ever had. Service is disgusting and charges cannot be explained.Call dropping, never get reception in my house even though I live on the third floor. Not to mention the customer service where you get no help at all.Would not recommend to anyone.

My Partner and I have long been happy 3 customers. Recently, when his contract ended, he went into what used to be the 3 store (now covered in vodafone signs) and requested to renew his contract with 3. they said this was no longer possible as 3 was becoming defunct in 2011 (and which I later found out was a lie.) One of the benefits of 3, and the reason I signed up was the free calls to others on the same network, enabling me to avoid costly interstate calls when I wanted to speak to my family. Once he moved over to Vodafone, I was charged for all calls made to his number! I went and inquired at the vodafone store, and the man i spoke to rudely stated I should have realised i would no longer get free calls as 'technically' im not calling 3 anymore! I thought seeing as they forced my partner to move over, and Vodafone now owned Hutchinson Australia, they would continue this service! explanation please!
I'm also unimpressed with the lack of information to customers re: the switch from 3 to vodafone. Shouldnt vodafone have informed all 3 customers we would eventually be moved over to a vodafone service! I've never had a problem with and was just going to stay with 3 and then eventually get moved over to vodafone, but after being referred to this site and reading some of the drama's, I think I'll move to Telstra! Im sick of Huge multi-national corporations ripping off honest everyday people!Good work Vodafail for allowing disgruntled consumers to voice their opinions and illustrate ways of getting out of these contracts!

6 Jan 2011 07:13:58 PM: 1. Most Vodafone plans have unlimited calls to 3 and Vodafone
2. If you're not happy with the change to Vodafone, ask to switch back - Easy
- This is another example of someone complain for the sake of complaining

I live in Brisbane...and still I have no reception ever...well sometimes I get one bar. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

6 Jan 2011 03:56:17 PM: Before I got away from vodafail I would be running around my apartment and out on to my balcony trying to get better reception on a failing call that eventually dropped no matter what. And I live in Homebush Bay, the site of the Sydney Olympics and 5 minutes drive from the ANZ stadium! One of the most heavily serviced areas of Australia. If I get dropped calls then heaven help rural people because vodafail won't!

7 Jan 2011 06:25:41 AM: vodafail are onto it, they are securing deals to build massive high rise apartments all around sydney, in order to relocate their rural customers to areas where they may (occasionally) get coverage

Get 1-2 bars in my own home (live in metro area)
Have to walk outside to talk on my mobile (for a mild improvement)
Calls will also just randomly "drop out" even when I'm not at home.
Sometimes i won't get a voicemail come thru on my iphone for a couple of days.

10937 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is what to do? at 6 Jan 2011 03:14:58 PM

I've been offered a $15 discount for 24 months with Vodafone. So I have to choose between having faith that Vodafone service will be good once all their upgrading is done - or get out now and go to Optus.

6 Jan 2011 03:54:55 PM: In all honesty Telstra is the smarter move for the best coverage and performance, however if you cannot justify the extra $$, then Optus or any Optus reseller would be the next best option.

6 Jan 2011 04:01:35 PM: I don't have any faith that things will improve with Vodafail in the short to medium term. Their recent announcement of additional towers in the next three months is a staggering 5.6% of the towers they plan to put in over 12 months. Do you seriously think this will have any impact on improving the woeful experience we are getting?

Also they still want (disgruntled) customers to use their stunning service number of 1555 (together with Lara) to get things done. Hmmm I think I would run fast - but personally to Telstra.

In the meanwhile Vodafail continues to sign up new suckers to experience their stunning network.

Personally I don't think that they will survive unless there is drastic improvements within the next 3 months in all respects. They need to start by removing the PR spin and admit how bad things are and lay out concrete plans for improvement together with substantially reducing bills to customers until things are fixed.

If they plan on trying to tough it out I believe it will make people more determined to make them pay either via legal action or through the ACCC.

7 Jan 2011 06:28:52 AM: The money you save staying with vodafone is only going to buy you headaches, nothing else. Are the headaches going to be worth it? For you maybe, definitely not for me

Another day, another no service message. This might be understandable if I was in regional Australia but I am in Randwick, oh well there goes that meeting I was trying to organise for tomorrow- Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

i have had months of dropped calls, patchy reception, missing voicemails yadda yadda yadda you all know the drill.

so after studying up on vodafail, decided that the email approach would be the most efficient way to complain. But oh no, the VFail are obviously on to that - their goddamn online complains for is down! Seriously.

I got this message - Apologies, but our email form is temporarily out of order.

EPIC FAIL.

6 Jan 2011 03:36:26 PM: Well if they cant hear or see our complaints... then there is nothing wrong... right ??

Perhaps in time the word vodafone will replace "FAIL".
ie. "thats an epic vodafone"

I have been on the phone to vodafone today seince 11am trying to cancel my mobile and broadband internet i have not being able to log on to anything on my mobile or home now for weeks !!! Changing to optus !

I cannot be contacted by any telstra services including my Place of Work. I am a nurse and have not been contactable to work emergency shifts for weeks now.
This has only just come to my attention, so, in essence I have been losing my livelihood.

We have been Vodafone customers for 12 years with phone and 10months with mobile broadband. 4 calls over 3 weeks and finally on the last call demanding to stay on the phone to cancel our internet as we have no reception. The last call is at present 50 min on the phone YES we are thru to the cancellation department. Demand the service you pay for as if we didnt pay we would have the debt collectors on our doorstep

I lost reception for 3 weeks because they were upgrading the tower, so i sent them a email to ask what was going on, no reply for 3 weeks, i sent them 5 emails and they finaly reply a day before they get the tower back to order. I also tried to down grade my internet usuage on my mobile and VodaUsless wanted to charge me $530 to do it as if im going to pay that to downgrade. IM OVER THEM.

I've had a reasonable relastionship with Vodafone for more than 10 years but since going over to an iPhone last year and using internet/email/etc I have found them to be getting worse. At first I assumed that it was because of the low quality antenna in the iPhone but have since found that it is Vodafone as others in the same place as me using Telstra or Optus get good service. More recently calls are dropping out so even that is starting to get to be annoying! I have all but given up with trying to access the web unless I am connected to a WAN which defeats the purpose of paying for a data service completely!

Came home to an $800 bill through global roaming. Whilst I take some responsibility for running up a bill using internet on my phone overseas, any attempt to check how my bill was tracking whilst I was away was conveniently unavailable. Of course I got no joy from calling. Then of course there is to be expected continual drop outs, even at my home in Melbourne CBD and work in Collingwood. These I have just accepted as part of the service.

After complaining to the TIO about my poor coverage and constant drop outs at SydneyOlympic Park ( still being investigated by vodafone) I was revered to this

Mobile drop-outs and poor coverage

The TIO regularly investigates complaints where consumers allege they were misled by their provider or its dealer about mobile phone coverage, or are otherwise dissatisfied about the level of coverage they are receiving. Most commonly, complainants seek the TIO's assistance in being released from their contractual obligations.

Where a complaint concerns allegations of misleading or incorrect advice, the TIO seeks information and evidence from both the complainant and the provider to attempt to ascertain whether the complainant has a sufficient case to be released from their contract. The TIO will need to establish:

whether coverage is poor and, if so, in which areas
what expectations the dealer gave the complainant about coverage (e.g. Did they guarantee coverage in certain areas? Did they show a coverage map?)
the extent to which the complainant has been able to use the phone
whether the complainant has moved
whether the complainant specifically told the dealer where they would be using the phone
whether the standard of service has changed
whether coverage differs depending on the time of day, weather, etc;
when the complainant first brought the complaint to the attention of the provider or dealer.
Information/documentation that might assist the TIO to determine these factors includes the written contract itself, copies of mobile phone bills, statements about any discussions that took place before the contract was entered into, and coverage maps.

The TIO expects a provider and/or its dealer to ensure a customer is adequately informed about the likely performance of their phone. Having said this, the TIO has regard to the experience and knowledge of the complainant in relation to mobile phones. The TIO also considers the customer's apparent level of understanding and therefore what could reasonably have been expected of them in the circumstances.

Where the available evidence suggests likelihood that the dealer provided inadequate, inaccurate, or misleading information about coverage, the TIO expects the provider to release the customer from any contractual obligations, without termination charges or fees. Depending on the circumstances of the case, the TIO might also expect the provider to reimburse and/or waive any access fees or other charges paid.

Where a complainant did not make their provider aware of a coverage problem until well into the contract, the TIO will question what caused the delay. Where it is apparent that the complainant could reasonably have raised the issue much earlier, the TIO will bear this in mind when considering what constitutes a fair and reasonable outcome in the circumstances.

In considering complaints about coverage, the TIO also considers the extent to which the complainant has derived any benefit from the phone. For example, where it is apparent that a customer is effectively unable to use their phone due to poor coverage, the TIO might expect a provider to cancel a fixed term contract without termination charges or fees even where the actions or advice of the dealer were not brought into question.

Just spent the past 2 hours on the phone to India, where no one could understand a word i said. Useless, unbelieveable.

One text i sent took 12 hours to be delievered (I was on the phone to the person when i heard the mobile in the background "Beep")

Where do i sign up for the class action ????

I Have been on hold now for over an hour, Lara hung up on me 3 times, B!tch

TIO are the only answer. I will never give Vodafone another cent - Useless

6 Jan 2011 10:43:16 PM: http://www.piperalderman.com.au/vf/ <---- sign up here :)
i just checked out the new update on it to, 9000 customers have signed up :)
i got this big big feeling that vodafone is gonna go bust man

Ordered new mobile phone on plan online on 9/12. Received handset 13/12 and found to be faulty. Rang 14/12 after 1 3/4 hours I was told that a new handset would be sent to me within 10 days and a bag will be enclosed so that I could return the faulty handset. Rang today to find out when I might expect it. After 1 1/2 hours told that they had no record of that arrangement on file and that I should take it to my local Vodafone shop (which I had been told on the 14/12 that I couldnt do) Took to my local Vodafone shop and they were on hold for 2 hours trying to sort it out for me and then got hung up on. The lovely staff at Vodafone Shop are trying to sort out for me. Never buy online ever again!

6 Jan 2011 02:15:01 PM: Yep= that is partly why I am reluctant to ok that part of the situation with the TIO and Vodafone. I don't trust them at all anymore- Vodafone fears the industry funded TIO as much as I fear fairies, and I am just not ready, and may never be ready to get the run around you've just decribed, after all the other phoning and run around, and then be trying to get the promised refund back when the evidence (the phone) is off to Vodafone, and they have no record of my having sent it. I DON'T TRUST THEM ONE LITTLE BIT! Not when I have proof of how fearlessly deceptive they have been.F*CK YOU VODAFONE! And shame on you TIO! and shame on me if I ever believe anything either of them says or puts in writing ever again!

6 Jan 2011 07:00:58 PM: My mind is on a loop now to the Cee Lo Green song:
@Vodafone and TIO
"F**k you and f**k you too"
VF's song to customers and the TIO- "F**k you and f**k them too" ?

I have been with Vodafone for 15 years and never really had a problem. However, I have received moved to Kellyville - a highly delveoped metro area and we can not get clear mobile reception in our home. Calls are bearly audiable and they drop out frequently.

In June, I also had an issue with "mistaken identity" - where by we were being told to pay a bill that wasn't ours. Took days and spoke to call centres in India and Egypt with no resolution. The matter is with their "legal team". has been seven months and have not heard a response.

Ironically, with faith to Vodafone I tried to resign my contract with them yesterday... spoke to "Lara" 6 times and each time as I was being transfered the call would say "There has been a technical error. You must hang up and try again". I tried various options on their menu's with no success. I am trying to give them business and they can't even get it right!

6 Jan 2011 10:44:18 PM: *slaps you across the head*
are you for real? u wanna resign ur contract?
but ... why?

7 Jan 2011 06:34:02 AM: reminds me of the story of Egyptian cabbie who drove onto the footpath, beeping his horn, trying to get thru traffic.Knocked over an old man, stopped, jumped out of the cab and slapped the old man for not getting out the way.

Kafka-esque is a word that keeps springing into what's left of my mind when the memory resurfaces of the horror of dealing with Vodafone and the TIO.Resurfaces easily, because the situation is ongoing- first complaint(on this issue) lodged with Vodafone exactly one year ago today.
And, I'm wondering, if it's ever resolved before I die (or give up) will I then suffer incurable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the rest of my life?Sitting huddled in a corner of a darkened room, weeping Vodafone logo tears.
Posting here has been quite therapeutic- thank you,Vodafail

6 Jan 2011 02:26:49 PM: Postscript:Venting without resolving the underlying problem is not the therapeutic part.
Venting and not being all chewed up with the rage/emotion and then being more able to actually deal with the problem can be therapeutic.
And realising here that I'm not alone, and it's not a dirty little secret I have to keep quiet about, as if somehow it's my fault, THAT'S therapeutic!

6 Jan 2011 02:38:01 PM: Postscript 2. And no longer believing I am powerless- that is therapeutic.
And anticipating a bunch of Vodafone trolls being paid to flame my post is one symptom of a bit of healing.
Bring it on, Vodafone! Let's see if you can disgrace yourself any further!
*laughter* is therapeutic

Has anyone tried to get off contract even at expiry. I wen to the shop where I bough the ph, sorry we can't cancel was the answer, you must call Voda directly. called them at night on the 24/7 helpline. After 45 mins, sorry no cant do, you must call between 8 and 8 for that. they promised to call me, guess what no call. I tried again at 7.40 PM. Got through soon after 8, you've guessed it, no can do, must be between 8 and 8. called today from work, after 15 mins, had go back to work. sent three emails, gues what no response.

It gets worse. I have not used Voda for some 12 months due to very poor service, I signed elsewhere. So I'm stuck on a contract that I can't use.

Does anyone know of a company that will do anything to stop you from contacting them? How can a shop sell you a contract but that shop wont allow you to cancel the contract. What a miserable joke

6 Jan 2011 03:05:40 PM: Yes... not vodafone but their NEW PARTNERS... 3 mobile did a similar thing when I tried to cancel my contract with them, except they would transfer me to "disconnections dept" have me wait for around an hour then the call would be ended on their side. This went on for a couple of months I made around 10 attempts and gave up. In the meanwhile they continued to bill me for a service that had call restrictions on it as I refused to pay the bill until they cancelled my contract. I get the feeling there was no disconnections dept.. and I can see vodafone adopting some of the same tactics now they have merged their intelligent ways lol.

24 month contract for internet. Connection drops out for no reason all the time, often won't connect at all. Disconnected us for not paying a bill they never sent to us in the first place then they tried to charge us overdue fees on that bill. My boyfriend rang up and got given a different number to ring then that one gave him a different number to ring cause none of those people were of any use to us. Third number lied to us and said they have EMAILED (when we elected for paper bills) us the bill weeks ago, boyfriend gets shirty and makes a smart comment about the fact we have no internet so can't actually get our emailed bill. Check emails at parents place... magically no bill is there. Call AGAIN on hold for 1hour 40 mins to be put through somewhere else to be on hold for 18 mins to be put though to someone who is finally a nice helpful person and informs us that they don't even have an email adress for our account in their system so they never sent us a bill in any form then tried to charge us overdue fees. Also internet stick/dongle broke after like 2 months and they won't replace it we either had to pay 100 bucks for a new one or they would send ours away for ages to be "looked at" and offered us no replacement for that time so we would be paying for nothing basically. Just rubbish all round VERY fed up and trying to get out of contract early!!

Everytime I look at my iphone I see this little message in the top left corner stating ''No Service''. I signed up for the iphone 3G on a plan with "3" and am now wasting $70 a month. I use my home phone for most things now. Looking forward to going the "3 Class Action" I want my money back!.

i haven't been able to use my vodafone internet for 6 weeks ( to date ) and have had a bill that i was told i still had to pay i'm on the phone to vodafone 2-3 times a week they keep telling me they will fix it and i always have to wait 3 to 4 days to disconnect it i'm sorry but isn't it up to me if i wanna leave

I had planned to run internet tethering through my phone and thought how bad can it be, my mate is doing with with Telsra... well I found out... very slow
not to mentioned 20 minute delays in SMS's, just yesterday I had to attempt to dial more than ten times to get a connection going.....

For the past 15 months I've been on the King St Wharf and Darling Harbour side of the city and have had poor Vodafone reception. I've warned people that I may not get SMS during work hours. Also, iPhone 3 and 4 data has been hopeless. I have to walk outside the building to get my Gmail.

However, my worst Vodafail story was in the first week after getting iPhone 3. I went to Mt Hotham which didn't have Vodafone 3G coverage. Vodafone actually 'roamed' me onto Telstra's 3G network (without warning me) and I blew my first monthly cap by ~$200 as a result of 3G roaming within Australia.

To this day, I feel they owe me $200.

6 Jan 2011 11:56:45 PM: Odd, I go to Hotham all the time and I always have coverage on mountain, using a 3GS. Never been charged roaming up there either...

probally 6 out of ten of my calls i make i get "call failed".
i get late voicemails and late texts and my internet is sooooo slow.
seeing as i dont have internet on my laptop i rely on my iphone to tether it to the computer or use the internet on there but it is so DAMN SLOW that it often times out.
I AM AN ANGRY MAN!

''No Service'' Evertime I look at my iphone I see this little message in the top left corner. Well that just about says it all really! they do not offer any sort of service. Phoned to complain and had a 55 minute wait to talk to someone in timbuktu who never understood a word I was saying. I am not too convinced he was speaking the same language either. Absolutely shocking! call drop outs, texts and voicemail messages arriving hours after they were sent and ''No Service'' Contract or not I am 'outa here'

I have a 2 year plan with Vodafone the overall reception is very poor especially in my own home. Both my partner and me have contacted them and their only responds is that we must be in a black hole and there's nothing they can do. I am a freelancer and have lost jobs because they phone didn't ring and went straight to my voice mail. Most of the time I only receive my voice mail message the next day by that time I have lost the job opportunity.

So YES, I'm losing jobs because of Vodafone bad reception and I can't wait till my contract has finished so I can move to another provider.

Sabine

6 Jan 2011 01:13:50 PM: There's a lot of these "black holes" going around it seems... around 90% of Australia is when you're a vodafone customer !!

7 Jan 2011 08:17:38 AM: true that. my house seems to be in a black hole, so does my dads and my aunts when i visit them, and also most of my friends houses.
does anyone know where there ISNT a black hole?

10906 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is is a failure and their CEO's, Managers etc should all resign at 6 Jan 2011 01:01:28 PM

Internet drops out 9 out of 10 times. Today I spoke to customer service and they told me network is fine..... I blame management at Vodafone Australia for not passing on the right information to customer service team at India. Vodafone's CEO and management are just LAZY. Atleast they could have forecasted this issue and implemented a back up. They should have known. Outages for 1 or 2 day is acceptable but Vodafone gave us an outrage for 1 month and still no fix. It's too late now coz Vodafone is in bad books now. Vodafone Hutchison Australia management is HOPELESS and should be ashamed.

THANK YOU VODAFONE for your constant drop outs and for charging me for calls that don't even go through.

When I received a call from my furniture delivery company to inform me my furniture had arrived, I hoped to organise with the driver on how to bring it up to my apartment. With the constant drop outs from "no reception" when my phone showed full reception, the driver finally gave up on me.

Now I am organsing for delivery again and paying for another delivery run!

I RANG UP TO QUERY MY DATA USAGE ON MY LAST 2 BILLS.I DON'T USE INTERNET I DON'T READ EMAILS,THE ONLY THING I USE MY DATA USAGE IS FOR APPLICATION UPDATES,AND I ONLY DO MY UPDATES AT HOME USING WI-FI.TO MY HORROR I JUST FOUND OUT THAT IF MY PHONE THINKS THAT THE WI-FI SIGNAL ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH (MIND YOU WE NEVER HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE 2 COMPUTERS WE USE) MY PHONE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SWITCH TO THE VODAFONE NETWORK AND USE MY DATA USAGE WITHOUT ME KNOWING .NOT ONLY THAT BUT MY PHONE CAN ALSO AUTOMATICALLY UPDATE APPLICATIONS THROUGH THEIR NETWORK WITHOUT NOTIFYING THAT IT IS UPDATING.ON MY LAST BILL I SUPPOSEDLY HAD DATA USAGE EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I KNOW I HAVE ONLY DONE UPDATES ON APPS FOR 3 OR 4 DAYS OF THE MONTH.I WAS TOLD THAT MY PHONE CAN DO UPDATES AT ANYTIME WITH NO NOTIFICATION AND ITS NOT A VODAFONE CON ITS AN APPLE CON THAT HELPS VODAFONE INCREASE THEIR COFFERS .VERY ANGRY

6 Jan 2011 01:00:23 PM: Sounds like something a vodafone CSR would say to get you off the phone

According to the Vodafone website (Network Issues/Upgrades) there is no mention of upgrades of the network for Tasmania for 2011. Has Tassie been forgotten again, poor 'regional' Tassie, always has to miss out. But maybe they can justify this by saying they have good reception here (at the Call Centre!)

6 Jan 2011 02:48:25 PM: I noticed this myself, and commented down the bottom of the blog in which I found the network upgrade page regarding this. I checked the blog again this morning and quite a few of the comments including mine (which included no swearing or abuse) had been deleted. Obviously we HAVE been forgotten and Vodafail can't take the criticism for it.

7 Jan 2011 09:59:16 PM: Uh guys....if you would care to actually read the page you will find that the listed upgrades on the website are for "between January and March 2011".

It's no wonder Tasmanians are thought of as being backward...

8 Jan 2011 10:05:11 AM: Well they could make us feel as though they are thinking of us, if only to say they are considering 'upgrades' outside of the January to March time frame. Then there is the matter of Vodafone removing/deleting customers comments relating to this...

8 Jan 2011 02:35:30 PM: WTF are you on man? Vodafone as a company have nothing to do with this site.

Unless of course you're talking about their own site, in which case, anybody who runs an online blog can reserve the right to moderate comments and remove those that are considered to be abusive, trolling attempts etc. You see it on Whirlpool all the time.

Has it ever occurred to you that they may actually be going through an assessment process to determine what upgrades happen, where they happen and when they happen? It stands to reason that the areas facing the biggest problems will get done first.

The state of Tasmania has less than a quarter of the population of the city of Sydney, so do you think that the number or percentage of people having problems is going to be anywhere nere comparable? Of course it's not.

Tasmania's turn will come.

8 Jan 2011 06:53:53 PM: To the previous comment: I'm fairly sure the OP is talking about the Vodafone website and the blog where they posted planned network upgrades. People are calling Vodafone Vodafail, so it does get confusing sometimes. And I agree with you, they have to start somewhere when fixing stuff. There have been a few comments from people in TAS to say they are not experiencing issues, so maybe that's another reason they have not been prioritised.

11 Jan 2011 01:04:16 AM: @7 Jan 2011 11:59:16 PM Just to be clear on that, is that 2011 on the Christian Calendar?

Look at it for yourself. Tas IS NOT listed. As for the population being less? That's a fair call. But the percentage of the population being less? Where did you learn maths? The size of a population has ABSOLUTELY NO relation to the percentage of a population. Moron.

14 Jan 2011 10:47:32 PM: Guys look I agree the coverage in Tassie needs to be improved in a Lot of areas however.... I used to live on the west coast as well as cradle mountain where my only option was Telstra, after enduring countless years of overpriced plans with little value and bills upwards of $300 per month I finally moved to a location where I had a choice. Vodafone plans are the best value on the market the customer service has been in the past fantastic and I made the conscious descision to go with this company even though the network does not cover a large area of our state. I keep a Telstra pre paid sim card for places that don't have coverage to use in emergencies but honestly it doesn't get used that often. I have found however for the most consistent coverage older style phones are the best, stay away from the so called smart phones as they seem to struggle with switching between 2g and 3G networks and this is where it is dropping out, don't believe me? Try it yourself the smartest thing about smart phones is the marketing behind them

18 Jan 2011 11:28:03 AM: I use to work at Vodafone 3 or 4 years ago, back then they were talking about Tassie becomming 3G within a year - Don't hold your breath - Want FANTASTIC service, swap to Telstra - I travel around the state & only found a small spot travelling to Coles Bay the only non-reception area on my Iphone 3 & 4.

22 Jan 2011 10:03:38 AM: @ 12 Jan 2011 12:19:10 AM - Again, if you have a look at the page, it says "between January and March 2011"; why would a state be listed when there are no scheduled upgrades for that period?

As for maths and percentages, do you mean to say that (for instance) 20% of 500,000 is comparable to 20% of 3,000,000 in terms of raw numbers? FYI that is 100,000 vs 600,000. Sure, they're both 20%, but a there's a big difference when you break it down. Who's the moron now?

20 Jul 2011 06:56:54 PM: well here we are in july 2011, vodaphone still useless

So I decided to give vodamoan a call last night while i made sure i entertained myself with something else... expecting to wait. 40 mins later they answer.. in a very helpful tone mind you.. all happy happy :-)

I politely asked them why the wait was so long and their explanation was umm... kinda... not quite convincing. They were very busy in their call center but not because they have lots of customers calling them lol.. short staffed? I asked... No. She tried to get me off topic.. so in response to her question hehe I asked is there something wrong with their network... she says No..quite a few times reassuring me!! I mentioned that I didnt want to sign up a new contract if they are having network problems and I have difficulties getting through to them. She assured me that wasnt the case, altho never did quite explain the delay. So she starts asking me questions about what service I am interested in.. and I reply... could the delay be a result of vodafone failing to provide the services they claim to in their contracts? Or could the volume of calls be some of the 10,000 plus people who have logded their complaint on vodafail.com in the last 2 weeks and the have legal action pending? Have you heard of them?? Or could it be some other people who are in the same position I am forced into with my vodfone where I have to chase reception, constantly deal with dropped calls yet still pay the bill etc etc. I was met with silence from her end.

All of a sudden she suddenly became aware of the network issues.. and apologetic when I started to tell her the problems they have caused me over the last year lol.. so nice of them to care so much they apologise!!

Yet the "so n so" would have signed me up then and there if they could have, even tho i made my concerns clear.

They are doing the same thing 3 was doing years ago.. playing down their problems till you gave up or died from stress.

Vodafone have made a ridiculous mess of my last 3 bills. when I have tried to call them from my vodafone mobile and from a landline I have reached a recorded message that states "We are currently experiencing technical issues, You'll have to call back later" Then it hangs up on me. Atrocious. I had not paid these ridiculous bills and could not reach vodafone to discuss. I then received an automated call from Lara informing me that my service would be cut off if I didn't pay. I commenced part payment whilst trying to confirm the bill online through myvodafone website. I could not log in as the site would not recognise my password. I then asked for a new password and the site could not accept my answer to my secret question. I know my own Father's middle name... I have now paid over $1000 for the past 2 months bills that are drastically incorrect. My service has been deactivated and I of the 3 calls to 1555 that I have made today I have spent 25 minutes on hold only to have the call answered and my name asked then as I responded I was dropped inot limbo then cut off 3 minutes later. I tried again and this time was given an option for Vodafone to call me back ststing that I would not loose my place in the queue and that it would be more than 30 minutes before the call was returned. 3 hours have now passed with no call back. I am now on call 3 for the day and have been on hold for 10 minutes so far. I have cleared my account and can't even get through to them to get my service reactivated. I then need to contest 3 months worth of incorrect billing. FAIL VODAFAIL. I'm going to Telstra...

6 Jan 2011 06:51:51 PM: I had the same the other night because the bill was wrong! I called and waited 40 minutes, the lady answered my call the the line dropped out. Had to call again and waited another 40 minutes before my call was answered!

10899 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is no coverage, dont get msg's for days, internet well dosnt work 9/10 times!!! at 6 Jan 2011 12:25:18 PM

I cant believe myself & our business has been with Vodafone for the last 10 years with no problems, would have recommended them to all, then the last year its getting rediculous! I moved to Orange in the country had great service, no dramas, even got wireless broadband, great no probs!!! i moved back to Sydney early October omg, no service, cant get internet coverage, messages come up to 5 days late if at all, droped calls - i had to call my sons doctor in orange to get a referal changed for a allergy specialist in sydney very urgent his mouth swelled to a point of nearly closing his air way! it took me 30mins, at least 15 calls, even tryed my daughter phone, but that just as bad, shes with vodafone as well! What concerned me was what happens if he has a reaction that bad again an the phones dont work, he could very well die!!! No service!!! whats with that, many long waits to customer service, they actaully had me convinced that it was a fault with my phone!! No No No! Our business has suffered customers dont want to deal with a tradie they cant get hold of!!! Please they just need to fix the problems up!!! My daughters brand new phone 2 weeks old, same dramas you cant tell me that all 4 phones in our family are faulty with the same problems!!!

Frustration with hold times going through Lara often resulting in being disconnected after an hour or more on hold. Complete network outage in December for nearly 2 days but the on-line outages were showing no problem. Most annoying currently is delay of several hours in voicemail. I have lost a contract as a result of this delay & it seems to be getting worse rather than better. Finally no coverage in the underground in Perth where all other networks seem fine. Regards Chris

contracted to vodafone for another 18 months, coverage is appalling and everytime i get a call it drops out and i have to call them back, can go from full coverage to none in a split second.no coverage from ararat to swan hill where i go regularly to see my elderly mother

contracted to vodafone for another 18 months, coverage is appalling and everytime i get a call it drops out and i have to call them back, can go from full coverage to none in a split second.no coverage from ararat to swan hill where i go regularly to see my elderly mother

i sent an email to vodafone asking for an apology & some from of compensation. below is a copy of the mail i sent them & the response that i got:

i just got my internet bill in the mail today. what i would like as well is an apology & some form of compensation about the crappy service that i have received from vodafone. i rang vodafone twice yesterday. first time was around lunchtime. according to the twit that i spoke to i never rang vodafone to have the bill sent out to me in the mail. i tried to tell him that i did but he basically called me a liar. the second time that i called vodafone yesterday was a couple of hours later. according to that twit there was no record that i called at about lunchtime. that call was about a complaint that i have with vodafone. because of all the stress you people at vodafone have caused me i have spent all night in hospital with an asthma attack. i hope that you arre going to compensate me for all the stress that you have caused me. by the way i have lodged 2 complaints with the TIO & 2 complaints with the ACCC about how vodafone is treating thier customers these days. maybe that will get you to pull your fingers out of your backsides & start treating your customers with the respect they deserve instead of treating them like a piece of dirt.

vodafone's response:

Should you wish to rephrase your response I will be happy to assist you further

vodafone's response is a bloody joke. no form of apology or compensation whatsoever.

IT IS SO FRUSTATING THAT I HAVE A HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY INTERNET CONNECTION FOR ABOUT 4 WEEKS AND I HAVE NO ONE TO TURN TO. VODAFONE PHONES LINES ARE CONSTANTLY BUSY AND I END UP NOT GETTING ANY WHERE BY THE END OF MY CALLS.
AND TODAY I MADE 2 CALLS AND ALL I GET IS"SORRY THERE IS A TECHNICAL PROBLEM YOU HAVE TO HAG UP AND CALL LATTER. HOW TERRIBLE IS THIS SERVICE. ALL I WANT IS MY INTERNET CONNECTION BACK. DOES VODAFONE CARE?

10888 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is In every way possible at 6 Jan 2011 12:07:26 PM

My coverage is the worst it has ever been. This has been going on for months. Sometimes it will be up to an hour that i can't use my phone. Today i have had no internet acsess all day long and now although i have full coverage i can't send or get calls or messages. This is a joke!

When i have called about issues in the past and to find out how to get out of my plan i have spoken to idiots who have just wasted my time. Plus ive had to wait on the phone for ages and had that message saying Vodafone will call you back. Never has called me back once. Considering i spend over $120 a month with them and have been with them for 10 years you would think it woukd be in there best interst to look after me. I guess not!

I have been a vodafone cusatomer for countless years and was quite happy with the service, however the coverage is going down hill... FAST! And they dont care! i have missed work due to my phone being oyut of coverage and not recieving voicemail messages. I rely on my phone for work and have clients in my care that i need to look after however am not able to get reception in important situations. I rang vodafone a couple of months ago and they said they will look into it. Never got back to me. I call and call and am constantlty on hold or cut off due to "technical difficulites". I was fortunate to get throuygh thus morning and after quoting my name was cut off again. Go in store and you are told to ring the number.. What a joke!

I'm in a mess as the RESULT of Vodafone's incapability to provide service. I am a 3 customer and an ex-3 employee (of 18 months).

When we started selling Vodafone in our 3 stores, we were told to push the Vodafone brand as much as possible. All of the 3 customer service staff have moved to the Vodafone call centers to cope with the increased call volume. Now any time one calls 3, you will find yourself on hold for 30 minutes minimum - regardless of the time of day (it used to be better to call in the morning).

ON TOP of this, I recently hollidayed south of Perth over the Christmas period where I used to receive reasonable coverage. Now however, as 3 are gradually switching off obsolete towers, I receive NO coverage.

I know how bad it is, and I know that it's going to get worse. Especially for 3 customers.

Crappy coverage, internet works but very slow and often not at all when on the move, can rarely pick up 3G. No wonder people are silly enough to pay a premium with Telstra. I may be heading that way as soon as I pay out my contract, just lucky I wasn't silly enough for a 24 month one!!

sick of it. voda now dont even answer their customer complait lines- it is like their head is well in the sand. Voda is owned by a company in aus called Hutchison Telecommunications Australia and is listed on the ASX. The Australian head office contact information is listed on the Company information page on the ASX website. Vodafone cant hide behind thier indian call centre and crap processes for ever. look them up and call them here.

I have been with Vodafone for a month now and since being with them it has been a endless problem of problem upon problem. I got my Iphone4 on the 20/12/10 after calling them on the 02/12/10. When I got my phone it took me 2 days to try and get it connected. Once the phone was connected my internet service was not working and it took me another 2 days to get that working. My internet connection is slow is drops off. My phone reception is so bad that I can't make many calls. My family calling from overseas can't call me either as they keep getting m voicemail. Every time I need speak to their 1555 to takes between 30 - 45 minutes to even speak to a human. The only reason why I am with Vodafone is it allows me to call my family overseas and if Telstra had the same plan I would go back in a heart beat.

Signed up for Vodafone bundle package mid last year when I first arrived in Melbourne from NZ. I have had problems with the mobile broadband connection from the start!! No one was able to help me over the phone and no one was willing to help me when I visited their retail store!!
I have made numerous phone calls to discuss the billing issue I have had ever since my first ever bill from Vodafone! It took me over 4 months to resolve the issue and had to go through different people in different department to get this sorted!! I still triple check my bills today just to make sure they didnt bill me wrong!!

Till date, I am still experiencing connection problem with my mobile internet (very low speed, drops out from time to time on a regular basis!) I have rang Vodafone wanting to get off my contract but they want me to pay over $1500 if I was to drop off when really they are the ones who are not honoring what they have advertised/promised from the start!!!

Well they've offered me a good deal to compensate for all the issues I've had. I said I want to think about it and get back to them. I've called them back, I'm on hold for at least 20 minutes so far and this entire time the sound /recorded msgs/music they are playing sounds like a distorted crackly robot. (!)

When they finally pick up I am not entirely sure they will be able to understand me.

Anyway, I am interested to know some facts about what their network will be like once its all upgraded - I am starting to think that I will hang in there if I can be shown what they are doing and how it will improve.

Where is this INFO?

6 Jan 2011 11:27:39 AM: There isn't a great deal of information available unfortunately however Vodafone has just released the list of towns in which they are upgrading the network within the next three months. Those are the only plans we currently know about from vodafone but if your town isn't there then it's best to ask them for more information.

6 Jan 2011 11:29:25 AM: Thanks so much I will check it out. I am in Bondi Beach - a very populated area that should have excellent service. But Wow. This crackling line got so bad that I have hung up and will start all over again. Grr.

6 Jan 2011 11:33:15 AM: Yea I know how you feel, I could never be sure of their hold music was crackly because of my phone or because their radio had bad reception. Bondi isn't on the upgrade list so you might want to ask exactly what is going to happen in the next few months that would improve your coverage. If they have no plans of doing anything then you have to wonder what they are holding out for. Best of luck.

6 Jan 2011 11:33:48 AM: Hookay. Called again - went through the whole 'Lara' ordeal then I get 'Looks like we've had a technical problem you'll have to hang up and try again'

So here I am I'm trying to call back to accept an offer I was made and I can't even get through to them without significant pain.

Maybe I am making a mistake sticking around with them....

6 Jan 2011 11:39:31 AM: Yea the more times you have to try the more you reconsider. It depends on how important your mobile phone is to you and what kind of service you require. if you can survive with patchy reception and dropped calls in exchange for reduced bills (or whatever they've offered you) then it might be worth it. But if you can't live with that then you might as well switch to another carrier. Even if it costs slightly more you will save on the amount of time you spend on hold and trying to call back people after the phone drops calls.

6 Jan 2011 12:17:25 PM: Third attempt - got through the Lara crap, entered my 'pin' number then was just hung up on without an explanation. Feels like I will never get to 'accept this offer' at this rate.

Nice way to spend a rare sunny day off work.

6 Jan 2011 02:10:52 PM: Fourth and Fifth attempt - was on hold for about 20 minutes then each time it sounded like the call was being answered but again - it wasn't answered. I could hear ppl talking on other calls for a long period of time - and the second time it was just complete silence but still connected. So I hung up both times.

Went to a Vodafone store and asked them to email Vodafone to get them to call me back!

The TIO requires me to take reasonable steps to resolve my issues with Vodafone before I lodge a complaint, but efforts so far have been fruitless. I tried calling 1555 but I was informed that there were network connection issues and disconnected me, I have also tried to fax a complaint to the designated number as well as head office but the numbers don't answer and I have tried phoning from a landline to various other numbers. How can I fulfill the TIO requirement if I can't get through to anyone at the company.

6 Jan 2011 11:25:50 AM: As long as you have tried to contact and resolve the issues with Vodafone then you are fine to go to the TIO. Just fill out the form on the TIO website (linked to from the 'how to complain' page) and the TIO will request that vodafone contact you themselves. At that point vodafone should probably resolve your issue as the further it has to escalate within the TIO, the more vodafone will get charged. Goodluck!

I have not yet seen anyone speak about the monumental breach VF has made of a number of sections of the Trade Practices Act. No-one can issue a contract and then execute it knowing they cannot deliver their contractual commitment. Every corporate officer in Australia is aware of this requirement. VF have breached their commitment to every subscriber. Under these circumstances and due to the denial over many months I see potential for the Directors and Management to be held accountable and VF forced to abstain from taking on any new subscribers until the network issues (and corporate conscience) are verified as resolved. I suppose we should be thankful VF only handle communications, not health, police, education, utilities - wait a minute, is VF part of the excuse we have for a NSW Government??

I have had "limited service" displayed on my phone constantly since November 2010. It is to the point now that I may as well leave my phone at home when I go out because I cant use it anyway. I have contacted them via email because I work business hours and I am sick of sitting on hold all night only to get disconnected which I suspect is because it is their closing time.

I have explained in my emails about never having service, and the reply I got was asking questions like: where are you when your calls drop out, what are the numbers you are calling when they drop out etc..... I explained that im not even able to make bloody calls, let alone have the freakin things drop out on me.
We then played email tag for the next 3 days because even though they had my full name, date of birth, address an alternative contact details, they were "unable to indetify me"
I told her to stop playing games and that I didnt appreciate the "delay tactics" and I get a response back saying that according to their "coverage maps" my address was listed as being an outdoor service area only....
WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP! My last contract was signed while I was living at this address and I never had this issue during that 2 year contract period.
I have sporting commitments in the Wynnum/Manly area, until late on Monday nights, I cant even call my husband to let him know I am on my way home because I have no reception.... . I can leave home with the "limited service" displayed on my phone, drive to my work place in Wacol, and still have "limited service" on my phone when I get there, and go most of the morning until it comes back on so surely that is prove enough that it is their
coverage, not my address that is the issue.
I then told her that I was going to send my complaint to the TIO and the response I got back was "It is always disappointing when customers are unhappy with any aspect of the Vodafone service as we aim to provide excellent service at all times.

Whilst we appreciate your frustration, as you have advised that you have sought a third party, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, in an attempt to resolve your complaint, that you follow the procedure that the Ombudsman would have provided"

So in other words, they have just wiped their hands of me, they didnt even try to "look into my issue" like they promised, nor did she even seem interested in helping me....
Lets hope the TIO side with me and get me out of my crappy contract so I can go to a providor that will actually give me the service I am paying for each month.

Well Vodafone tried to contact me on the phone that doesn't work idiots but finally rang me on home phone we have signed up 3 new contracts not knowing of the problems with the network approx 6 weeks ago we can never get on internet calls continually drop out can't get range at home just a disgrace then i emailed them they have emailed back they won't let us out of contracts because all they have to be sure of is that it works at our home address so subject is resolved hello it doesn't work that's why i say to contact on HOUSE Phone because mobile doesn't work at home they are idiots and we are so angry we work on the Sydney Railway and i am very uncomfortable not having a phone that i can ring for help on if needed god help Vodafone if someone gets hurt and can't ring for help because of their network don't sign poor new customers up without telling them we have been sucked it and now we are treated terrible by the customer service people and the shop the phones were bought from SHAME on you Vodafone also i am making sure i tell everyone i can about not signing up with Vodafone and so is my son and Husband and the rail Network is a place to tell alot of people they don't want to do the right thing and let us out so what else to do but stop as many people as possible signing up with them and save them the anguish

I live in the Hurstville area and have spoken to a number of Vodafone customer reps, they've told me i definitely have coverage in my area..well i beg to differ!
The only place that has coverage is my backyard in ONE CORNER! Too bad if there's an emergency..i'll have to run quickly to 'the corner' as it is now called.

On another note, i purchased the pre-paid wireless usb..guess where i had to use the internet..yep, the corner. After getting an exchange because the person at the Vodafone store said i probably have a faulty usb device, i went back home and had to go straight back in to 'the corner'. Went back to the store and demanded a refund. After an hour of explaining, finally got my money back.

I've tried to be civil, understanding and mostly patient. I said to my self the service isnt that bad and im not going to be one of those people who post a complaint blog. But after so many months now its just ridiculous! Same old experiences as everyone else, calls dropping out while dialing, little to no reception, receiving texts, emails and voicemails hours late, dropout after dropout on a simple phone call,slow/non-existant 3g connection, and constant complaints from people trying to reach me (the whole "but my phone didnt even ring once" excuse dosent cut it anymore).

Luckily i havent had an emergency situation where i couldnt contact or be contacted or work related discrepencies so i havent had anything really tip me over yet.

I really hope these "Task Forces" Vodafone have deployed are more a unit of elite technicians that can get these issues solved quickly and not a crack team of idiots like i have been spured to expect

6 Jan 2011 11:29:36 AM: Thanks for sharing your experiences. Most of us probably didn't think it would get to this stage but from the over 10,000 posts on this website it looks like you are not alone. Make sure you are complaining to vodafone as well, if they haven't resolved your issue then go straight to the TIO without delay! Information is on the 'how to complain' page at the top of this website.

firstly i thought i was the only one having this issue.
i will start with that "Voda" did help out getting me a present organised for my wife (iphone 4) at the begging it took half a day to connect the phone however eventually they got it right. at first my wife phone had reception issues thought it was the iphone 4 issue however now its happening to my phone Iphone 3gS the last 2 months or so people received my txt extremely late or not recieve them at all, and now i'm not receiveing text from people. also i have relaised increasingly bad reception on my phone. it takes at least 4 attempts to have a conversation with out drop outs and most of my calls are in the main CBD or out west of sydney where coverage shouldnt be a problem. at the same time data is affect as well. i've called them to see if they were having network issues and the advise it was the phone. i needed to update my OS etc.. to solve the issues. guess what still have the issues. once i heard about this site i am glad we are standing up voicing our issues. the biggest problem i have is we pay for a service regardless what the price is cheap or not we are still paying for a service that needs to be provided and its not been delivered. i know in my industry (IT) if we did this we would have ACCC on my back. anyways i will try again other wise i'm sending an invoice to them for my time.

im with crazy johns,(what was i thinking) same rubbish reception issues , no connection ,(even with full service) drop outs , im now at the investigation phase , in seven days they will advise of thier findings,

So after weeeks and WEEKS of dramas with Vodafone to get insurance, a new phone and some kinda contact from them, i finally get an answer last week that i will be getting a new iphone 4. I was told they would call me to confirm delivery date. So today i get a call from vodafone. A prerecorded call saying, that next Thursday will be the delivery date of my new phone. If this was not suitable to press 2 and wait for a customer service person to change it. As i have no idea whether them delviering it means i have to be home or not, i press 2 to speak to someone. I am on line for around a minute. At this time, there is a message saying, 'sorry we cant answer you, call 1800... to talk to us'. Now im sitting calling the 1800 number that they said for around 10 minutes. YOU FAIL VODAFONE. Again this is more a waist of my day. Just deliver the phone!!!!!!!

10863 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is call dropouts, random loss or reception, internet decides when it wants to be there or not be there... FAIL at 6 Jan 2011 10:43:02 AM

i can be on the phone and without any reasoning a call will dropout.
other instances 3g and internet just dont exist, or i get a stupid repeating message timeout, lost internet connection, (i'm on there alot as an ebayer)
i can randomly receive messages half a day later than when they were sent, and sometimes get the next one first,

BUT best of all, when my phone is with me (always) and i have plenty of so called reception, people will attempt to call me (also with plenty of reception) and the call will go straight to voicemail (without any call divert on)
i have only made the jump to voda from optus prepaid,
voda have been ok dont get me wrong but is there a better network provider out there?
anyone with any suggestions that live in the kingsgrove area in sydney?

Bought ph and plan online/Sales Sept.Ph never worked. I spent 2 months and approx 35 hrs on hold/talking to 17 different Cust service reps and spending 3 days home waiting for return calls that NEVER CAME.. I finally got exchange ph.
Voda website has been hopeless, and I'm still awaiting rebates promised in initial deal.Coverage is useless apart from main shopping centres.
If TIO will give OK I want out NOW!!

In it's infinite stupidity, I've been left without Service for over a week, and now, after arranging an extention to pay an account which they incorrectly added in the first place, they have now withdrawn money from my account 17 days before the agreed extension leaving me with nothing to pay rent, bills and gain food not to mention the bank fee for an overdrawn account!!!!! Vodafone can go jump. They've lost me as a customer for good!!!!

i have had so many calls drop out espcially internmational ones.. you pay $3 per ten minutes.. get on the phone for 3 mins.. drops out.call back.. another $3 charge on my bill... worst ever phone provider.. can't wait till my contract is up - dont care what they offer me... i am gone.

I am using a vodafone usb stick for internet access and to send txts and have had no end of trouble with coverage,after being advised that I could not get a usb stick that could be connected to an aeriel for better coverage(and offering to pay for it myself) , I discovered thru a friend that this was possible and have since purchased one- the coverage is not much better though!!! Also after getting bloody Lara on the fone every time I called no matter what the time ,I finally got onto a customer service person , to find out why I could not get reception in Townsville-North Queensland,which is the 2nd largest city in Queensland, they advised me to go to a different suburb , as the one I was in wasn't covered by their network, which I duly did and surprise , surprise - still no coverage,I have since bought a usb stick with an aerial connection and aerial and have tried nearly every suburb in Townsville and got no coverage at all !!! I am very disappointed in their coverage , as this was not mentioned to me when I purchased the plan , and what is even more frustrating is that it is nearly impossible to get thru to Vodafone to speak to a person, without getting stuck with bloody Lara for at least 1/2 an hour.

7 Jan 2011 09:42:09 AM: My vodafone usb stick has been incredible slow for the past 2 weeks and even drops out from time to time. In the usb help area it states that if you change the network setting to 3g only this should help but it doesn't. this is so annoying not having internet as I use the internet for my job.

10857 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is looks like a bit of a vodafail communication breakdown at 6 Jan 2011 10:24:30 AM

So i spoke to Vdafail in regards to reception issues again at in my suburb (as i was at home and getting txt message that were like 2-4 days old and dropping out of calls) got stupid Lara the first three times but selected to use keypad option in which once selected the option i needed got:

"looks like were having technical difficulties, I am sorry, you will need to hang up and call back"

In which 4th time was lucky!! after some changes being made to my iPhone, i asked to be put through to billing in which the adviser said he would do so, but put me through to another dep as i was 0.24cents over my last bill and was owed, then told to ring back and speak to billing the usual way.

Did that, got put through to the same dept and eventually got where I needed to be to only have the guy try and upsell me to a different plan which would have reduced what i got on my current plan. After saying no i didn't want that, adviser spoke to supervisor and got half knocked off my bill. Still had to pay under $50 (which i didn't mind really) but for all the stuff around I got, you have got to be kidding me!

I have three, a cap plan for my phone, a talk and text for the wife, and a plug in dongle thingy for when away with the laptop. Coverage is fair, or a bit better than fair really, though crap in the house as we live near the sea. The 3G coverage is sproradic outside of Sydney where I don't live. The promise that would be very fabulous in 3-6 months 4 years ago has proved hollow.

I just got three messages for my Birthday, a few hours after they were sent.

To get what I have from "T" a company who keeps telling me their coverage is almost perfect I would need to shell out and extra 250-400 a month - that is more than double my spend with "V".

On balance I am fairly OK on Vodafone. Not perfect, but generally OK. Certainly value for money, and a company I enjoy dealing with. Most of the staff I have dealt with in the retail outlet in Charlestown would get bonus points from me for excellence in customer service. It is probably value and customer service that has kept me happy. I do have a level of stickability, but with technology developing, I would like to see Vodafone follow the old Ansett motto of "we try harder".

I don't want my phone to take photos, play music, guide me, be my GPS, be my note-taker, web-browser, calculator or cad drawing package. I want my phone to connect reliably, and deliver messages on time. These are the two areas where I believe Vodafone have the most room for improvement.

My contract is due to finish with Vodafone in 10 days, I've been with other providers before and they contact you well in advance to remind you and offer upgrades. I had to do all the work myself and wonder why I even bother trying to renew my contract with them for an "upgrade".

I've been calling their call centre for 3 days now trying to get connected to the right department, and fail miserably each time. Just today, I've been trying to get through to them since 9.30am. I chose the option of leaving my number and having them ring me back. They called me 40 minutes later, I answered, and the call got disconnected. They didnt call me back, so I had to queue up again, waiting another 40 minutes for someone to get back to me. When I finally get through to a human being, I am told I dialled into the wrong deparment, was transferred to the Upgrade Department, and I am still on hold as we speak. It is now 11.50am and still on hold!

Have been a vodafone customer for 5 years. Touch screen on phone is non operational. Went to vodafone store- Carindale and was told it will take 3 weeks to fix it and that they could not give me a replacement handset (part of my contract by the way) because all 27 yes 27 replacement handsets were out. Here's a solution vodafail if your handsets consistently breakdown have more replacement handsets or simply supply phones that work - wow there is a new concept.

10851 Someone from NSW thinks vodafone is very very at 6 Jan 2011 09:39:23 AM

In the last 12 months my reception and MMS have become so bad. I phoned Vfone and they got me to turn my phone back to 2G. I dont know whats gone wrong this company used to be the best. When my contract is up they will be gone for sure

I switched from Vodafone prepaid to 24-month contract. I still had $20 on my prepaid sim card but when I asked Vodafone if that money can be credited to my account, they replied that I need to contact the store (who promised me the refund). The store, of course insisted I need to call the main Vofdafone line and after being on hold 3 or 4 times for 30 min + each time, I decided to give up.

7 out of 10 calls dont connect, it just hangs, have to cancel and try again, MMS fails to send, maybe 1 in 10 goes through.
Signal is horrendous, thats on a variety of Phones, including Nokias and Iphones(i know are bad anyway).

Really considering leaving Voda at end of contract and doing the unthinkable and going to telstra unless they improve.

I have a wireless broadband with Vodaphone and it did work initially. However after few days it became really problematic. Connection issues, slow download speeds, connection keeps dropping.
Tried helpdesk but that was of no help.

Been with Vodafony since their entry into Australian Market. have over 10 phones, 2 data cards, USB modem etc. Account manager wont return calls. calls keep dropping out for no reason, have to switch phone off and then on to get reception.